Our Family
by Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Summary: It's a child... Where did it come from? Was there something he should know about? Had Bilbo told him something about this before? Did he just forget it? ...What was going on? Thilbo, Bagginshield, Slash


**Warning:** Yaoi/boy-on-boy  
**Pairings:** Thilbo, Bagginshield, ThorinXBilbo  
**Story:** A new beginning for all of them, a new world, a new home, a new life. Now if only that life was easier to reach even after the battle was over...  
**Disclaimer: **All Characters (c) ...Who owns The Hobbit again?

* * *

They had faced each other, Bilbo's hands tightly holding the hem of his shirt, wrinkling the once-smooth linen. Thorin's eyes were a stormy blue of loss and acceptance, hurt and love. Bilbo didn't want to do this. He stepped forward and Thorin's arm were around him in an instant, pleading with him not to go, to stay here, with him, in the safety and beauty of Erebor. Kili and Fili were sniffling in the background, whimpering for Bilbo not to go back.

"Please, Bilbo," Thorin's words were for the Halfling's ears only, gusting past him in a subtle wind.

"I _have_ to, Thorin," Bilbo was so close to crying. "My sister won't last long, I... I have to be there."

Bilbo and Thorin pulled away from each other, Thorin brushing a stray piece of blond hair from Bilbo's face. Bilbo held still to the dwarf's tunic, trying to force his eyes not to water.

"Will you come back, Bilbo?" Bofur asked quietly, pulling his hat down tightly.

Bilbo turned and smiled sadly, looking around at his companions. "I don't know. The Shire is... is my home," the party of dwarves looked down sadly, "but you all are my family."

"I'll accompany you back!" Kili stepped forward. Fili looked startled for a moment before stepping forward as well.

"Me, too! After all, uncle Thorin and the rest are here, you don't need us!" Fili explained at the distraught look on his uncle's face. Thorin didn't want to lose so many of his family at once.

"No," Bilbo said quietly, stepping away from Thorin to place his hands on Fili and Kili's arms. "You two belong here, in Erebor. All of you are needed here, to help rebuild and to protect this place. I promise you, Gandalf and I shall be safe. The eagles have offered to take us back to the shire after we pass through Mirkwood."

Thorin sighed. "If that is how it is to be..." he murmured.

"Thorin-" Bilbo started, spinning back around to face Thorin.

But the look on the young King's face stopped him. "I wish you all the luck in the world, my burglar." Bilbo could only nod, choking down tears.

The others didn't bother hiding their tears, rushing forward to hug Bilbo tightly before he left with Gandalf. Thorin looked on in sorrow. He knew this was best, he didn't want Bilbo here to get hurt when the backlash of regaining Erebor surfaced. He didn't want him there to be trampled when dwarves began flocking back to help rebuild their old home.

But as he watched Bilbo walk away, waving sadly alongside Gandalf... He wished he had never let the little hobbit out of his arms in the first place.

Bilbo sighed as he walked into the Shire. This wasn't the place he remembered... Everyone who saw him rushed up to greet him, the news of Erebor being taken back having spread quickly. Bilbo smiled hazily to his now-admirers.

"Please, I-I just want to see my sister," Bilbo murmured. A silence fell over the welcome party. An elderly hobbit stepped forward, motioning for Bilbo to follow her.

"She's in bad condition," she murmured once the two were away from prying ears. "The birth took too much out of her, and without the father, Frodo will be orphaned... She was already weak before she became with child, but the pregnancy took too much out of her. We don't have much hope she'll survive the week."

Bilbo looked away for a moment, still walking beside the familiar woman. "How's my nephew?" he finally asked.

"Healthy, strong," the elder answered with a kind smile. "A lot like you when you were but a babe." Bilbo could only chuckle at that. "He's a shock of brown curls, and eyes of the clearest blue. A right beauty, he'll turn out to be. She named him Frodo, said you would quite like that name, even if she didn't."

"Well, she was right," Bilbo murmured with a smile. His elder sister knew him all too well, and knew that he had always said he wanted to name his own son Frodo. But when it had become clear Bilbo was not going to settle down with a hobbit woman, she had taken it upon herself to name her first born son Frodo.

Too bad it looked like Frodo would be her first and last.

"In here," the elder opened a door to the nursery, holding it open so that Bilbo could enter. Bilbo was immediately rushed to the back, where his sister lay in a soft bed, bags under her sharp blue eyes, brown locks a mess, sweat dotting her ivory skin. She looked like a completely different hobbit than Bilbo remembered.

"Bilbo," her voice was hoarse, but the smile on her face was bright, albeit weak. "I knew you'd come."

Bilbo smiled, sitting beside his sister's bed, taking her hand in his. "Of course I came! I wanted to come sooner, but Bombur would not hear of me leaving without getting a good week's worth of food in me."

"Tell me of your travels, Bilbo," she coughed softly, too weak to truly manage it. "Oh, please."

"Of course, sister. Now, where do I begin?"

Bilbo wouldn't cry. He wouldn't. Not in front of little Frodo, his tiny eyes looking up at him in curiosity. But when he looked up at the empty bed, he couldn't take it. He held Frodo tight to his chest as he finally let his tears out. He had hoped... beyond hope, beyond anything, that she would get better. But now Frodo was an orphan and Bilbo had no idea what to do.

"Young one..." Bilbo sniffled and looked up, Frodo squealing happily at the site of the elder. She smiled softly, in sympathy. "Go home. Your time here is done."

Bilbo wiped his nose, nodding as he fastened Frodo in his cloth across his chest. "I still have to find a place to put a crib in my room, after all."

The elder laid a hand on Bilbo's shoulder, chuckling softly as she shook her head. "No, not to your hole. Your _home_."

"But, that is my-" Bilbo looked at her quizzically.

"Bilbo, is it truly?"

Bilbo looked into the kind eyes of the elder, slowly realizing what she meant. And that she was right.

"I have to go back to Erebor."

She smiled at this. "Go to the nearest town, I'm sure there's a party traveling that way."

Bilbo smiled and nodded, making sure Frodo was secure, the babe having fallen asleep and breathing lightly. "Thank you," he murmured.

Bilbo arrived in Rivendell worse for wear, Sting strapped to his hip and Frodo strapped securely to his chest. He sighed in honest bliss when his eyes met the beautiful sight of Rivendell. He had traveled alone for the past two days, having left the rest of his travelling party behind at the last town.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Elrond chuckled, opening his arms wide to greet the small hobbit. "As I live and breathe, I thought it would be many a moon before we saw your likes again."

Bilbo couldn't help but smile. "I had to travel back to the shire, to pick up this little one." Pulling back the cloth, Bilbo revealed a giggling little hobbit babe, reaching up with grabbing hands for Elrond.

"Well, if I had known you were travelling with such a precious burden, I would have sent guards to fetch you. We can't have the little one getting hurt," Elrond lead the way into the Rivendell halls, leaning over to coo at the babe. "How old is the little one?"

"Oh, Frodo is only about a month and a half old now. His mother just passed, I had to rush back from Erebor," Bilbo explained, pulling out a bottle for Frodo to suckle on.

"Yours, I take it?"

"Oh, no!" Bilbo exclaimed, Elrond getting a laugh out of the hobbit's reaction. "My sister's. She had a weak constitution, we always worried about how she would fair, birthing a child. It looks like our suspicions were correct."

Elrond paused, laying a comforting hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "I am sorry, Bilbo. What of his father?"

Bilbo shrugged. "She didn't tell me, I assume he either ran away or died. Either way, she left Frodo in my care, and I intend to raise him as best I can."

"In Erebor within the company of dwarves?" Elrond began walking forward again, a smile and a quirked eyebrow adonring his face. "Hardly a respectable place for a little hobbit babe to grow and play."

"Respectable," Bilbo hardily laughed, Frodo joining him in giggles. "I was once a respectable hobbit. And then thirteen dwarves and a wizard showed up on my doorstep. Seems adventurous is the better way to raise a Baggins."

Elrond chuckled. "Well, you may rest here as long as you see fit. I will see you have the best pony to ride and a troupe of guards to lead you to the next town of men."

"Lord Elrond, you are too kind," Bilbo murmured, a flush painting his cheeks.

"Anytime, Master Baggins. And Master Frodo," Elrond bent down and let Frodo grab at his fingers. "I am sure this little one will someday do great things, greater than anyone can imagine."

Bilbo couldn't help but chuckle. "Sounds like it is beginning to run in the family. Frodo..."

Frodo cried the whole way to the village, not even calming when the group stopped and an elven warrior pulled out a flute and played a beautiful lullaby. It worked on the other warriors... just not the tiny babe who refused to sleep. Bilbo was near tears when a elder village woman laughed as they trotted through town. She beckoned to Bilbo, waving off the glares of the warriors.

"Tell Elrond I thank him," Bilbo murmured, smiling at the warriors, who bowed their heads before turning their horses and galloping off.

"He is hungry," the woman murmured as she pulled the rope of a female goat.

"Oh..." Bilbo bounced Frodo in his bundle lightly, the babe having gone quiet at last. "But, I just fed him!"

"Oh, no, child," the woman laughed heartily. "He is hungry for milk! And although I may not know much of hobbits, I do know that no man can give birth to or feed a baby his own milk." The woman gave Bilbo a knowing look, making Bilbo flush and smile.

"He's my nephew, his mother passed," he explained. "I honestly know nothing of children, but he is my flesh and blood, and I'm trying to care for him as best I can."

"And you are doing a fine job of it," the woman was kneeling beside the goat, milking it into a tiny can. "He is a healthy child, cheeks the rosiest of reds and eyes of the clearest blue." She stood, picking up the still-warm milk. "You'll like this, little one!" She smiled kindly as she gently fed Frodo from the cup, the baby gulping down the delicious liquid.

"Thank you so much," Bilbo murmured as Frodo burped and fell into a happy slumber.

"There is no need to thank me. I would rather die than see a child crying," she said with a smile. "And this little one is one of the sweetest I have ever seen."

With that, she sent Bilbo on his way with a lambskin full of goats milk. He had mounted his beautiful, but sturdy, dun pony, Frodo snoring lightly as his uncle nudged Buttercup into a walk. They were to meet up with a traveling party soon, and Bilbo was eager to move on. To Erebor.

When the storm had hit, Thorin began to worry. When it lasted through the entire month, he began to constantly pace. When it lasted for two months straight, he was in a full panic.

That was when the front gates had swung open, Dwalin and Fili running in at full tilt, a small body in Dwalin's arms. "Get a doctor!" the warrior dwarf screamed. "Help!"

Thorin had rushed, hurried, ran as fast as his legs would take him, to skid and run back alongside Dwalin, Fili having gone to find a doctor. "What's happened?!" Thorin demanded.

Dwalin refused to stop, even when his king asked him a question. Instead, he carried on toward Thorin's chambers. Thorin rushed ahead and slammed the doors open, letting Dwalin hurry in and stop, laying the bundle of wet clothes on the bed. Thorin walked forward, slowly peeling back the cloths. "Bilbo," he whispered.

He rushed to his doors, leaning out. "Doctor! We need help here! It's Bilbo!"

It seemed that the entirety of Erebor stopped breathing, and then started again, moving at three times the speed of before.

Thorin was back at Bilbo's side in but a moment, helping Dwalin strip off Bilbo's wet garments so that he wouldn't be chilled for much longer. That was when the crying started. Thorin immediately looked at Bilbo, but he was still out cold. As Dwalin pulled back a particular cloth, he gasped. "Thorin," he whispered, picking up a small bundle. "It's a babe."

Thorin walked over to Dwalin, opening his arms for the tiny hobbit. He looked down at the cold, wet, crying baby boy. "He's... this is why Bilbo must have braved the storm, he wanted to get here as soon as possible with the little one," Thorin muttered. "Watch over Bilbo, I'm going to get this one in some warm water."

Dwalin nodded, watching as Thorin hurried over to the bathing chambers attached to his room. Thorin closed the door softly before started to run water in the large sink. "You must be Bilbo's son," he murmured, making sure the water was lukewarm before stopping it up and letting it fill.

"I wonder what your name is," Thorin smiled slightly down at the tiny, shivering babe, feeling a pang strike his heart at the thought that Bilbo had laid with another. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes, huh?" He slowly stripped the baby, still so tiny, looking only a month old at most.

Thorin dried the tiny boy before lowering him into the sink, filled with warm water. "Ah!" The baby squealed, splashing as a smile split his round face. His blue eyes lit up as Thorin began pouring the water over him. Thorin chuckled as the little one giggled and played with the water, a complete 180 from how he was crying before. "Hm... I think I'll call you Blue," Thorin murmured, running his soapy hands through the babe's curling red hair. "For your eyes."

Once Thorin had dressed the baby in cloth, he bundled him up and walked out to see Bilbo moaning in pain on the bed, face flushed red and the bed sheets brought up to his neck. The doctor stood at the bedside, muttering softly with a stern-faced Dwalin and Balin.

Thorin hurried forward, Balin nodding in acknowledgement. "What's wrong?" Thorin asked quietly, making sure that Blue was still bundled tightly.

"He's got a horrible fever, the doctor says he's in serious danger unless it breaks soon," Dwalin muttered, shaking his head. "Fool should not have gone out in such a horrid storm."

Thorin nodded. "He needs medicine," the doctor murmured. "Three drops three times a day, until his fever breaks."

Thorin dismissed him after that, placing the bottled medicine on the bedside tables. He sighed softly, worried. "Bilbo..." he whispered, holding Blue tightly.

"Don't worry, Thorin," Balin murmured with a smile. "He's been through worse. And he has even more incentive to make it through it this time. His little boy needs a father, after all."

"Let's hope so..." Thorin whispered, brushing a strand of blond hair from Bilbo's face. "Let's hope so."

"Papa!"

The room fell silent as Thorin stared down at the babe nicknamed Blue. "Um..." Thorin muttered, eyes wide.

"Did he just?" Kili muttered, looking at his brother.

"Uncle's got a son!" Fili cried out, clapping happily as the other's joined him.

"Congrats!" Bofur could not stop cackling.

"No, no, little Blue," Thorin tried to correct the child as his company of dwarves laughed and crowed. "I'm not your father, Bilbo is."

"Papa!" Blue cried happily once again, oblivious to his perceived mistake. "Papa, papa, papa!"

"Well, at least his first word was that, Thorin," Balin muttered, laying a hand on his king's shoulder. "I would have thought he would pick up on the younger one's foul language."

Thorin shook his head, sighing. "Why me?" he muttered.

Bilbo wanted to open his eyes. He heard Frodo laughing, giggling, so close to him, just a little ways away. And he heard Fili and Kili... And... was that? Could it be? Oh, if it was, he was sure he had reached Heaven. Thorin...

"Papa!" That voice...

Finally, finally, he forced his eyes to open, to wince at the light, to see...

Silence reigned the room for a moment before there was a desperate scrambling, and a hand holding his tightly, a large, rough, warm hand caressing his cheek. He looked up. And smiled.

"Thorin," Bilbo whispered hoarsely, leaning into the Dwarven King's touch, nuzzling the strong hand.

"Papa!" A small face came into view, blue eyes looking at him from a cloth strung around Thorin's chest.

"Frodo!" Bilbo whispered, relieved. He stretched out his arms, Thorin quickly scrambling to hand the child to Bilbo. "You're safe... Oh, you're safe and you're speaking!"

He felt the bed lower a bit and looked up at Thorin to see him sitting beside him, beaming down. Frodo squealed and reached out for Thorin, the dwarf letting the tiny hobbit hold onto his finger. "Papa!" The babe squealed, shaking Thorin's finger.

"That's right, Frodo," Bilbo whispered. "Meet your new papa."

Thorin sat there stunned for a moment, eyes wide as he looked between Frodo and Bilbo. "Wait, you mean... He's not...?"

Bilbo chuckled and shook his head. "My sister's child," he murmured. "She passed. He's ten months now... It took us a long time to get here..."

But Thorin didn't care. He was beaming from ear to ear, brushing limp hair from Bilbo's face. "He is yours, Bilbo," the King murmured, eyes watering. "He's ours."

The three were oblivious to the world around them, as the other dwarves watched on in happiness. The three looked like a real family, a blissful family. They hadn't seen their King smile like that in... well, since Bilbo left. But he was back now! And with a child...

"Yeah!" Kili and Fili exclaimed. "We have a cousin!"

And the spell was broken, at least for the moment, as the other dwarves surged forward and began to ask questions, exclaim congratulations. At least until the doctor was brought in and shooed all but Frodo and Thorin out. Bilbo still needed his rest, no matter how much the others wanted to spend time with him.

So, for now, Thorin situated himself in the bed and pulled Bilbo against him, the hobbit contented to fall asleep against Thorin's chest, Frodo sucking onto his fingers as he fell into a deep sleep.

"Thorin?" Bilbo whispered, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips.

"Yes, my burglar?"

"Kiss me."

Thorin was taken aback for a moment, before he relaxed. He gently lifted Bilbo's head up and place his lips against the hobbit's. It felt natural, it felt right. They both sighed in bliss, even as their lips parted from the chaste kiss. Their eyes met for a moment, unspoken words streaming between them. Yes. This was right.

This was perfect.

* * *

**A/N: **SOOOOO! My first upload in a while, huh? And it's more Bagginshield!

I know~~ I have a Thorki one on the burner right now, it's almost done. Also an MLP one! Awesome, huh? Well, that's about it for now!


End file.
